Moshi Campus News 6 Sep 2015

This week on 7th and 8th September we will be hosting a visit from Aston University, UK, who will be bringing their Microbiology Roadshow to ISM. This is an interactive workshop spread over the 2 mornings designed to showcase some of the different university and career aspects of microbiology; there will be lectures and discussions on careers in the field and practical studies of superbugs, foodborne infections and investigative techniques. This will be attended by all our diploma Biology and Chemistry students and some M5 students.
Please note that there will be no school assembly on 7th September beause of this Roadshow.

On Wednesday, 9th September, a large group of UK universities will be presenting in Karibu Hall at 2:30pm. Universities expected to attend are Anglia Ruskin, Aston, Bedfordshire, Birmingham City, Bradford, Brunel, Central Lancashire, Coventry, De Montford, Dundee, Glasgow, Hertfordshire, Keele, Kent, Middlesex, Newscastle, Northampton, Northumbria, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Salford, South Wales, Sunderland. Other similar fairs will be held at ISM Arusha Campus on 9th September at 8:30am, and in the Serena Hotel, Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 12th September.

We have a number of university visits in the next few weeks, designed to increase the exposure of our students to university choices and expectations: Aston University (UK) Microbiology Lab & UK University Fair 7-9th September. See details above.
Memorial University, Canada A representative from Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, will be visiting the Moshi Campus and talking to Diploma students on Wednesday, 16th September. Many ISM students have enrolled in Memorial in the past as it offers a good selection of courses at attractive fees.
Harvard and MIT Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be presenting to our diploma students on Wednesday, 23rd September at 9am. For the last four consecutive years, an ISM student has won a full scholarship to Harvard, and they are hoping that more ISM students will apply in the future. This is also the first visit of MIT to Moshi Campus. They will also be presenting to our Arusha Campus students at 12:30pm the day before.

ISM hosted on Friday evening a celebratory rally to mark the milestone of the first female quadripalegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro as Chaeli Mycroft and her Team Awesome reached Uhuru Peak on Thursday.
The super MC work by D2 Katumba and wonderful singing from D2 students Oputjo, Libby and Kemilembe were highlights of the event. Similarly, the poster prepared by M4 students Srija and Safiya [as well as the powerpoint that Safiya prepared] all contributed to a successful and inspiring event.
You can read more about Chaeli on her campaign website at www.chaelicampaign.co.za or on the Kili trip website at www.discoverafrica.com/teamwork.

From 8th to 11th September the M4 students will be on an interdisciplinary fieldtrip to combine scientific investigation with mathematical analysis of data. The Moshi and Arusha M4 classes will combine for this and camp for 3 nights at Simba Farm in West Kilimanjaro, where they will investigate various sites to determine the effect of climate on vegetation and look for correlations in the data they collect. This is a great trip in a beautiful location that shows students how scientific techniques can be applied out in the field and then synthesized with mathematics to help understand the relationships discovered.

Last week was our final week for try-outs, marking the end of a very challenging four weeks in the pool. A few very dedicated swimmers attended every practice, demonstrating an exceptional level of commitment over the try-out period and that they are able to strike a physical, cognitive, and emotional balance that allows them to be in the pool everyday. This means getting enough sleep (8-10 hrs), making healthy food choices, staying on top of school work, and listening to their body.
Swimming parents should have been shown the swimming handbook that contains the swimmer code of conduct, goals, and personal information page for each athlete. Each month, Varsity swimmers must complete their new goals and reflect on the previous month’s goals. Reflections must be signed by a parent or guardian. Boarding students can ask their boarding parents to sign their forms or see Mr. Sullivan. Revisiting and reflecting on goals is a critical part of being an athlete; athletes improve only by thinking about their approach to a sport and what they can do to improve that approach.
An important reflection point should be to consider how many wet practices individuals are attending (i.e., in the pool). I highly recommend participating in more than one sport, but performance will certainly benefit from finding a balance that allows swimmers to be in the pool as much as possible, if swimming is indeed a primary focus.
ISM Arusha/ Moshi Test Set #1

• Wed 9 Sept 2015 – AM practice
• Mandatory for all Varsity swimmers.
• 10x100s (either Free/ IM) – average time.
• Results posted and compared with Arusha.

As we are approaching, already, the middle of our first quarter, the Diploma Music students are getting more in-depth in the topics that they are currently studying. The D2 students are in the midst of a quick review of American popular music genres, starting back in the late 1800s and moving towards current music of today. As you read this, they are looking at a variety of popular sub-genres of rock music and tracing their lineages back to one of the three main genres that were the roots of rock ‘n roll in the 1940: Country & Western, Rhythm & Blues, and Pop Music (from Tin Pan Alley in New York City). This unit has definitely highlighted the vast amount of grey area there is when attempting to trace and categorize popular music.
The D1 musicians are still getting their feet wet in IB Music and are proceeding a bit more slowly through their introductory unit of the musical elements and notation. Through exposure to a wide range of music from various times and places, these students are gaining a firm understanding of the main ‘tools’ that are used to create musical pieces (the musical elements) and how they differ according to the type of music being created. As well, they are firming up their knowledge of traditional music notation and theory so that they are better equipped to critically listen, think and analyze music in the coming units.
We are continually trying to improve and make more efficient our Private Music Lesson Program. This week, if you walked by the bulletin board outside the Music Room 12, you may have seen some colourful folders. We now have folders for each of our private instructors that can be utilized by you, your child, and/or the teacher as a way to communicate. If you’d like to leave a note for your child’s teacher, please just deposit it into the folder. The next time the instructor comes to teach, they will then receive that note. Please, however, if you would like to communicate an absence or lateness to a lesson that will happen within 24 hours, then you are asked to directly contact your child’s private instructor. If you do not have the contact information for your child’s instructor, please do ask them for it. Musically yours, Susan Kellerman ISM Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

CAS is off to a vibrant start this term. With over 40 different creative and service activities on offer there is something for everyone! In an effort to raise the visibility of CAS, we will highlight one or more activities each week in this newsletter. Please note that sign-ups for CAS are now totally closed and attendance is mandatory.
CAS Activity Highlight of the Week: Mechanical Engineering Club (MEC) Student Initiator: Mohamed (D2) ISM is now offering the first ever, unique experience of being an engineer with its Mechanical Engineering Club (MEC). MEC is a CAS activity that lures its members into the actual world of science and engineering. With the combination of physics, chemistry, and mathematics in making actual projects, students get to know what they will embark on when pursuing engineering in university. MEC believes that every student who is fond of science has those times where they think of making things but they just can’t. Come find out what this week’s exciting project will be. Ingrid Chavez – CAS Coordinator

D1 Life Skills students considered the vital role of ‘Self-Management’ this past week and applied lessons from the Coveys’ ‘Seven Habits of Effective People/Teens’ and watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOpKziGrxSE.
D2 full diploma students will submit their Extended Essay first draft on Wednesday September 9th and will receive this coming week the ‘Calendar of D2 Deadlines/Key Events.’ This lists course-work assignment due dates and serves as a critical ‘pacing guide’ for the D2 students who must attend to and juggle coursework requirements of their six DP subjects. In collaboration with our DP teachers, the D2 deadlines schedule is arranged with an eye to rationalizing and ‘evenly spreading out’ these due dates to make it as manageable as possible for the students. All D2s plan, organize, research, write up and submit their assignments in order to meet each deadline since roughly 25% of the final IB grade in each DP subject is derived from these coursework items. Included in these IB deadlines are other major IB coursework submissions such as the upcoming Extended Essay draft and final submission dates (November 3rd).
This coming week we will kick off a new ISM DP course school year of collaboration with Pamoja Education for on-line Psychology and French ab initio classes. George Juma, our English/Drama teacher, serves as the Pamoja Education Site-Based Coordinator and we have a total of 10 students (5 D1s and 5 D2s) enrolled in Pamoja/IB on-line classes. All ten will study of Psychology with the exception of one who will do French ab initio SL.
Reminder: Friday October 16th from 1030-12:00 noon will be the parent-teacher meeting time to discuss the results of the August to mid-October 2015 marking period. Parents of all D1 and D2 students arrange, if possible, to attend.
Feel free to write me with any questions, concerns or constructive criticism! Rick Fitzpatrick – Diploma Coordinator

In the PYP it is believed that learning takes place best when it is connected to what is genuinely a component of the world around the students, not merely what is contrived and then imposed upon the student in school. So it is believed that acquiring knowledge, skills, meaning and understanding are best done in the context of exploring the child’s own world. The learning should be relevant and engaging to them as people. We therefore provide students with learning experiences which are relevant, challenging and significant.
At ISM the teachers encourage students to value their learning and take responsibility for it. The students regularly help to design the unit of inquiry by offering ideas and suggestions or by asking relevant questions. The teachers listen to these and guide the inquiry forward. Our pupils are encouraged to be curious, inquisitive, ask questions and explore their environment and community. They do so on a physical, social and intellectual level.
ISM teachers support their students as they start to master and control their learning on their way to becoming independent learners. The lessons are therefore differentiated to accommodate the range of abilities and learning styles, i.e. more complex tasks are set for higher ability students; simpler tasks are set for lower ability students. This means all the children can achieve success and so strive to learn more.
We believe that experiences during the early years lay the foundation for all future learning. This is when learning (physical, social, emotional, intellectual and aesthetic) is most rapid. We therefore recognise and maximise this crucial stage of learning. Kate Schermbrucker | PYP Coordinator (Source: Making the PYP Happen)

Swim Team A letter has gone home this week inviting our swim team to an informal short swim meet at Arusha Campus. The bus will leave at 6.30am on Saturday, 12th September, and the students will be back on campus by 12.30pm. If your child got a letter, please return the permission slip to the class teacher with the TSh 20,000 for the bus if they are going on school transport, by Tuesday, 8th September.
Health Issues Please note that we have a student with chicken pox in primary. Please also be aware that head-lice can spread very quickly, all long hair should be tied up and please check your child’s hair regularly and treat quickly.
Primary Handbook A reminder that all our primary guidelines are in the primary handbook: www.uwcea.org/wp-content/docs/archive_documents/PriHBook.pdf

Unit of Inquiry Next week we will look at the learning opportunities outside our own classroom such as at the IT lab, the library, the music room and the Sports Field. We will also continue to explore new areas of the classroom and the children will be encouraged to reflect on what they learn in each place. If you have any particular skill you could teach to the class please let me know, for example would you like to come into the class and bake cupcakes with the children, teach them a song or teach them a particular craft such as simple origami? We would love the children to experience a variety of learning with different people so please consider coming in to share your talents!
Literacy Next week EC1 children will find out about the letter sounds s and t. Last week the children used magnets to paint with to remind them of the sound that m makes. They also made houses after finding out about the letter sound h. Our art work will once again be integrated into the sounds of the week. We will make tea and toast and provide opportunities for the children to make tents! Don’t forget that you can hunt for things at home beginning with any of the sounds that we have introduced so far this school year and send them into school to put into our ‘Sounds Museum.’ As part of our inquiry the children will make books about what they are learning at school. Those who are ready to write will be encouraged to write simple sentences.
Numeracy Measurement of Time We will continue to think about the days of the week, months of the year and daily routines at school. Last week your child brought home their own timetable which they helped to make. Please stick it in a prominent place and talk to your child about what they will do at school each day, what day their show and tell is and when they have PE and library.
Data Handling The children will have experiences of sorting a range of materials into sets and be encouraged to describe how they have sorted them. Of course tidy up time at school is a fantastic sorting experience for the children as they all help to put the toys away in the correct place. You could try this at home too!
Number The students have daily practice counting forwards and backwards to 10/20 and above, depending on their level. Children always take part in number activities aimed at their level of readiness. Most of our number work is hands on but we do practice writing numbers when the children are ready for this. This week we will begin to focus on estimation of up to 20 objects. The children will also complete a portfolio problem solving piece.
Things to remember PE shoes and House T-shirts to be worn on Monday and Friday Library bags to be returned on Tuesday and Thursday

Information for Parents Thanks so much for sending such a great snack on Friday. The children were so excited to share, and it was a nice way to end our week of learning about healthful foods. We spent some time talking about what makes certain foods healthful, and we sorted the food into food groups. Thanks again for your involvement.
Language focus for the week We will focus on writing this week. We will use the words “first, then, next, and finally”. Of course, all of the children will be reading every day.
Maths focus for the week This week both Group 1 and Group 2 will be learning about greater than, less than, and equal. We will explore what these words mean, and we will compare groups of toys and other objects.
Unit of Inquiry To continue our unit on healthy living, we will learn about keeping clean this week. We will talk about taking care of our teeth, washing our hands, and we’ll learn about germs.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt) Tuesday Library (please send your books in the library bag) Friday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt)

On Tuesday the children were excited to have the opportunity to create their own colourful Tinga Tinga paintings with the help of four local artists – Leopold, Joseph, Grayson and Rogers. Each student was supported through the process of producing a picture with a blue and white background, an elephant in the foreground and Kilimanjaro in the background. They listened and followed each instruction carefully and were all delighted with their pictures. These will shortly be displayed for the whole community to enjoy.
  This week in maths the children have been investigating fractions of amounts. After practising in class they went outside to collect items from nature and demonstrate their knowledge, e.g. showing 12 flowers divided into four quarters (3 flowers in each quarter). They also studied the repeating patterns on kanga and kitenge material. They were able to make their own similar designs by carefully counting squares and drawing shapes.
In Kiswahili lessons the children have been learning about the physical geography of Tanzania using some of their new vocabulary. They are now able to locate mountains, lakes and rivers on a map of the country. In music they have been comparing different Tanzanian dances and music.
On Friday the students came to school dressed in Tanzanian clothes making for an energetic display. They enjoyed having the opportunity to consider the different types of clothing which give Tanzanians’ their unique identify. This fits perfectly with our Central Idea for this unit. The students were able to make interesting connections between their outfits and their learning over the past four weeks.

Unit: Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time Central Idea: Our host country has its own unique identity This week the students will learn the meaning of the PYP attitudes which are linked to this unit, i.e. integrity, tolerance and appreciation.
English focus for the week: Alliteration and adjectives
Maths focus for the week: Tessellation
What to bring to school every day: A hat, a water bottle and a healthy snack.
The Week Ahead: Monday: Homework will be sent home | PE lesson Tuesday: Library session Thursday: PE lesson Friday: Homework due in NB: Swimming sessions for P2/3 will start on Monday 14th September. Kate Schermbrucker – P2/3 Teacher and PYP Coordinator

Language Arts – the students have enjoyed working on writing first drafts and editing their pieces. They are making use of dictionaries to check spellings, vocabulary and finding meanings of words. In the coming week, they will focus on publishing their work and narrative writing.
Math – the students are becoming more confident with their knowledge of numbers, using the 100 squares to add bigger numbers by going vertically to add or subtract tens and horizontally to add or subtract ones. Other groups will begin to look at addition with regrouping.
Unit of Inquiry – the students have been enthusiastically crafting their artifacts. We continue to look at how the changes from the past to present times have impacted us. Students are looking at significant events that changed history and introduced the advancements we see today.
Swimming and P.E. – students enjoyed their first swim this quarter. In P.E they got a chance to use actual shot puts to practise their throws in preparation for Sports Day. Parents, you are reminded to send a note with your child if they will not be able to swim or engage in P.E.
Farewell – We said goodbye to Isabel Vanheerbeek today as she is returning back home to Holland. 2 student reps gave a short speech and wished Isabel safe travels. She will be greatly missed!

Information for Parents The students did a great job bringing their swimming kits this week and were very excited to start their swimming classes again. Thank you for your help in getting them prepared. If your kids are like mine, it is sometimes hard to get them to talk much about their day. I tried a new question last week that really worked! Instead of asking, “What did you do at school today?” I asked them, “What made you laugh today?” It made for a great dinner conversation so I thought I would share the idea with you.
Language focus for the week We are busy at work learning how to keep a writer’s notebook. Students will be introduced to different types of writing to try and encouraged to let their creativity show in their own writing. We will be learning about multiple meaning words and reading with small groups this week.
Maths focus for the week I am amazed at how well the students understood the concepts of prime and composite numbers and making factor trees last week. We will continue to look at how number patterns help us solve problems as we work toward solving problems with larger numbers.
Unit of Inquiry Last week we learned about different ways to express ourselves through performance. Groups of children decided how they wanted to present their story, made props, and performed for each other. This week we will work on taking on different roles within the same story by having the children switch parts and develop a new way to present their stories. They are also working on their summative assessment projects by creating different ways to share their opinion on a self-chosen topic.
What to bring to school: A hat for playtime and a healthful snack.
Timetable: Monday PE (wear PE shoes and a house T shirt) Thursday Swimming (please make sure you have a swimming costume, towel, and flip flops) Friday Library (please remember to bring your books)

The students have been busy preparing posters and presentation this week in order to remind the rest of Primary school about the Leaner Profile attributes, and explain how it connects to our current unit of inquiry. They have also been creating some eye-popping popart using tracing techniques and bright, abstract colours to portray a hero-based piece of artwork. We explored the structure of biographies by exploring text detailing the life of Andy Warhol, American Pop Artist. In Maths we have revised negative numbers and coordinates, and have used this to translate shapes across 4-quadrant grids and problem solve. In PE this week, students practised jumping into the sandpit for distance and we had our first swimming lesson of the academic year.
We sadly say “Goodbye” to our friend Jasmijn this week as she flies back to Holland. She has been a real asset to the class and we look forward to seeing her and her family again next year.
Congratulations to Doris and Ananya who were elected by their classmates to represent the Primary students at the weekly Student Council meetings.
Unit of Inquiry: We look to heroes to show us who we can be. Next week we will continue developing technique to produce a final Pop-Art piece. As well as this, students will continue to research their chosen hero and prepare for their final presentation on the morning of the 18th September. Students are encouraged to dress up on this day as their hero.
Maths focus: We will revise and extend addition and subtraction strategies before working on problem solving involving addition and subtraction.
Language focus: Students will continue writing biographies on their chosen hero, focused on structuring the text using subheads and on writing in a variety of sentences. They will revise, edit and improve their writing before publishing.

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